Happy 5 Years with Peanut Butter Blondies

What began as a simple way to share my recipes with friends and family has turned into this full blown career and actual grown-up business. (WHAT in the world!)

It was 5 years ago yesterday and peanut butter blondies were on my kitchen counter. I made them to bring into work and thought they’d be a great recipe to put on my new hobby blog called Sally’s Baking Addiction. But, like the nervous anxious person I am, I had a few reservations before I pressed that publish button for the first time.

Is blogging nerdy?

Omg should I even tell my friends about this?

I bet my mom will be the only one who reads this. (She was.)

I’ll just take a picture of the blondies on my iPhone.

There’s a new thing called “Pinterest” and maybe I can put my blog on there?

It’s overwhelming that one tiny decision can alter the direction of life forever. But I think that’s what makes life so thrilling. It’s made up of all these “little” decisions every day and you don’t even know it at the time, but just *one* can be the start of something completely life-changing.

In the spirit of 5, here are 5 things I’ve learned about blogging in the past 5 years.

5 Things I’ve Learned

1) Don’t compare your start to someone else’s middle. The comparison trap is loud and it is real. But look where I was 5 years ago with my peanut butter blondies (omg that picture, I can’t). Blogging is a journey and you’ll always be learning. It’s practically suicide to compare your blog to someone else’s. You are on two completely different paths and you are two completely different people.

2) Not having an “off” switch is the hardest part. The internet, it doesn’t turn off. And the work on a content-based website, it never ends. You have to learn to give yourself breaks.

3) It’s ok to give up some control. Hiring assistants and giving them a piece of “my baby” has been the hardest, albeit most rewarding emotional and mental experience of this career. I strongly encourage bloggers who constantly feel like they are fighting a demanding uphill battle to considering the hiring process. Turns out, there are a lot of food and internet lovers out there willing to help! If you’re generally burnt out, your work will suffer. And readers can tell! Hiring help has revived my passion and now I am consistently in touch with why I started my blog in the first place: because I love baking.

4) This is a ride, not a destination. The internet is fast-paced, but blogging is a slow and educational journey. It doesn’t happen overnight.

5) Do it for the right reasons. And that reason shouldn’t be money. If blogging is your full-time gig, it’s certainly imperative to have a strong and consistent income to support yourself and supply for your family. But that shouldn’t be the reason WHY you blog. You should blog because you are passionate about it.

But can I real quick tell you about these peanut butter blondies? I took them to a party on Saturday night and one guy said (and this is a direct quote) “these are like soft peanut butter pillows.” I changed my original recipe to fit into a 9×13 pan. The result is a dense and completely soft peanut butter blondie bar with lots of brown sugar and peanut butter flavor. I strongly encourage the use of Reese’s Pieces as this only takes your peanut butter experience to the next level. We’ll use melted butter for a little more dense chew (as opposed to creaming butter which creates a fluffier bar) and an extra egg yolk for richer flavor. And this is a one bowl recipe!!

Besides that, it’s just a plate of delicious peanut butter pillows.

Anyway, I don’t even know where to end besides, I don’t know, that first sentence up there. ↑ I just can’t believe we are here today talking about baking, learning and growing together, inspiring each other and participating in what I can only refer to as a BAKING PARADE. You’re all the best.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13 inch pan or line with aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished blondies out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together until combined. Whisk in the peanut butter, then add the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk it all until completely combined.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold the batter together using a rubber spatula. Batter is very thick. Finally, fold in the Reese’s Pieces. Spread evenly into prepared pan and sprinkle with a couple additional Reese’s Pieces on top for looks, if desired.

Bake for 30 minutes, then test the blondies with a toothpick. Insert it into the center of the pan. If it comes out with wet batter, the blondies are not done. If there are only a few moist crumbs, the blondies are done. Keep checking every 2 minutes until you have moist crumbs. My blondies take 30 minutes. They taste a little dry if you overbake!

Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Cover and store leftover blondies at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

Freezing Instructions: Brownies freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before serving.

Happy anniversary of your blog Sally! I found your recipes about 4 years ago and I not only use them whenever I bake but I tell EVERYONE about your blog and cookbooks! I am so proud of you for following your dream and giving us such incredibly delicious and well-planned recipes. Keep up the amazing work! Happy holidays to you, Kevin, and your pups!

Happy Blog Birthday, Sally! Congrats on 5 years! It’s so funny how just that one decision can change your life and for the better 🙂 You are such an inspiration to so many of us and I can’t wait to see what the next 5 years brings!

Happy anniversary Sally!!! I have always been a big foodie but never much of a baker…until I found your site. Your fabulous writing ability, beautiful unique photography and detailed instructions reeled me in. And now I bake something every since week. You are a great inspiration. Your dedication and love for the blog really shine through on every post you create and I am always excited to see what you have next to share. Thanks for the confidence that you have given me in the baking department and ps those blondies look amazing!!!

Wow, only 5 years? It seems to me as Sally’s Baking Addiction has been out in the world and in my life for much longer! 😀

Happy blogiversary Sally, and here’s to many more!! 🙂

I loved reading your 5 tips/wisdom pieces because they certainly hit home: the compariuson trap and the struggle to delegate. I have a hard time imagining what could be delegated in blogging (since it’s such a personal thing, your blog is like a mirror of you, your style, your tastes and your voice. So could you please give me a peek behind the scenes and tell me more about what kind of tasks you gave to your assistants and which ones did you keep for yourself?

Hi Stella! Thank you so much for the incredibly kind words! I’ve been able to delegate things such as updating old posts with new links, helping me with my Facebook page, scheduling tweets on Twitter, my Google+ and Tumblr page, finding content on Pinterest to pin, responding to brand or PR emails on my behalf, helping to organize my calendar, we’ve had a few baking days together here at my home… I think that’s about it! Basically anything besides what I personally need to be doing which is responding to reader comments, creating new content, photography, and writing blog posts. 🙂

Thank you so much for sharing all your delicious and fun recipes and adventures in the kitchen, as well as bringing us all into your life! I adore your blog and it always makes me so happy to read and then to try out the recipes and bring smiles to the faces of my family, friends and colleagues! Also! I love your pups and my husband and I can totally relate to everything you do with yours, as our Henry is our furbaby who goes on many of the same adventures as Jude and Franklin!

Congratulations on 5 years, Sally! I’ve read your blog for years and always enjoy ogling your photos. 🙂 It’s so easy to fall into the comparison trap. I’ve been blogging just over a year now, and I sometimes feel crappy about my own progress (which has actually been really good) because I’m comparing myself to someone else. I look forward to reading your blog for years to come. Have a great Christmas!

Natasha, Thank you so much! And also, I totally understand…not comparing is so difficult to do,but so important! Glad you hear you have made so much progress in the past year! Good luck with your blog and Happy Holidays!

Hi Sally, I’m another admirer of yours from across the continent..just wondering can I replace the Reese’s pieces or not use them at all? I just can’t find them here but I’d very much like to try this recipee, easy and sounds delish. Many thanks

Excellent outcome! Wanted something out of the ordinary and these came out great! Had no Reeses but put the pb and chocolate chips in batter,and whole salted peanuts ontop. House smells awesome. Thanks alot! Kathleen

Hi Sally! Have you recently edited this recipe? The last time I made this they turned out perfectly. This time they have a much more cake-like consistency. I don’t remember using the extra egg yolk last time. Also I remember adding wet into dry ingredients last time. Trying to figure out if I cooked them too long or if something changed. Thanks!

Hi Sally! I just made these and they taste amazing! However, I had to cook them for about 40 minutes and the inside still feels very under baked and almost wet, I followed the recipe exact(that I know of), do you have any idea why this would have happened?

Hi Kelly! Did you use a smaller pan? All ovens are different and I encourage the use of an oven thermometer. My new ovens are even off by 15 degrees and sometimes take longer to bake items. Continue baking until cooked through.

Sally, made these yesterday with cut up Reese’s miniature cups and only sprinkled the top with the Reese’s pieces and they were OUT OF THIS WORLD! Everyone loved them and they were gone in seconds. Thank you so much for another amazing recipe!

Would you please let me know if you use natural creamy peanut butter (just peanuts and salt) or do you prefer baking with the style of peanut butter that has added fats and sugar (like Kraft creamy). Thank you for your time, I appreciate your help!

commercial brands like jif and skippy are best for baking to maintain the proper texture in a recipe. This, of course, depends on the recipe itself but all of mine are best with this type. I love eating the natural kind, but for baking– the sugary stuff.

Sally,
Thank you for being brave and sharing your talents!
You have bless our family and friends over and
over with your wonderful recipes. Food brings people
together in the most delightful way!
Congrats! Here’s to 5 more wonderful years!

This is the best alternative to the reeses pieces brownie and cookies that have bee brought to my Tim Hortons in Canada. They turned out soo well and I’m not always good with baking. Taste super amazing and are very similar to the reeses pieces at tim hortons hence I wanted to make these rather than waste money buying the brownies. Had so much fun making the recipe with my family as well. Family favourite! Everyone loved it, thank you so much. ❤️❤️

Another wonderful treat! I baked these for a teacher and student who had fixed my flat tire. Now, I am the one they are always happy to fix things for. These blondies are magical! Thank you for such a great recipe!

Hi Sally,
Happy anniversary and congratulations, I love using your recipes! I am wondering how to use an all natural no sugar added peanut butter? Should I add more brown sugar, or will the difference be nominal? Thanks in advance!

These have gone down incredibly well with my family this evening! I made them with my three year old while her big brother was at nanny’s and they were great for her to help with. We halved the recipe to fit our 8×8 tin and 30 minutes was just right. Husband has eaten two in one sitting and just asked if he can have another! Making your dinner rolls with the kids as tomorrow’s project 🙂

My Cookbooks

About Sally

Welcome to my Kitchen!

I’m Sally, a cookbook author, photographer, and blogger. My goal is to give you the confidence and knowledge to cook and bake from scratch while providing quality recipes and plenty of pictures. Grab a cookie, take a seat, and have fun exploring! more about Sally